Do not post offers or requests for referral links in this thread! The proper thread for referral offers is here.

This thread--a continuation of previous discussions through May 2015 and December 2016--focuses on general Chase policies & practices for new applications. For information on specific Chase cards and their bonuses/terms/benefits, see the following threads and their associated wikis:

Does Chase have a limit on the number or frequency of applications like Citi's 8/65 rule?

Chase does not have a known limit. However, several reports (for example) indicate that Chase is highly sensitive to multiple applications within a short time period, and that the second (or subsequent) applications run a substantial risk of being denied. In many cases, this is likely related to Chase's practice of allocating a large credit line (up to an applicant's personal maximum) when approving a new card such as the first application in a series. (See also the discussion below concerning aggregate Chase credit lines.)

What's this I hear about Chase denying applications to people who have recently opened a lot of credit cards?

Starting in May 2015, Chase began denying applications for its own personal cards (e.g., Sapphire Preferred, Freedom, Slate & Freedom Unlimited) if the applicant's credit report shows that she or he opened 5 or more credit cards with any card issuer in the prior 24 months ("the 5/24 rule").

For a few days in early September 2016, Chase included explicit language ("You will not be approved for this card if you have opened 5 or more bank cards in the past 24 months") on the application page for the Sapphire Reserve card--and then promptly removed it. The absence of this language on landing/application pages for the CSR or any other Chase card is not a reliable indicator of whether the 5/24 policy applies.

Previously the rule did not apply to applications for the Ink Plus business card or to co-branded cards such as United, Hyatt, IHG, etc. However, on May 22, 2016 Chase extended its 5/24 rule to cover Ink business cards and some co-branded cards. (Note that there were premature reports that Chase Ink Plus would be made subject to the rule in March 2016 (which did not happen), and that all co-branded cards would follow in April 2016 (also did not happen).)

Although we had numerous reports of applications prior to May 22 being denied for a United/Hyatt/IHG/WN card by a CSR citing the 5/24 rule, the available evidence strongly suggested that those applicants had other serious issues--multiple Chase applications in a short period; large existing Chase credit line--and that overzealous CSRs gratuitously (and erroneously) invoked the 5/24 rule in the past as an additional supposed justification for the denial. Thus, it is difficult to separate such false positives from any change in Chase policy.

Instead, the most useful data points are those where an applicant is approved for a Chase card despite being over 5/24. Since May 22, 2016, we have such reports for these co-branded cards (in order from oldest to newest for each card):

How does Chase calculate the number of an applicant's new cards for purposes of the 5/24 rule?

The 24-month count includes personal cards opened at other banks, and even cards on which the applicant is only an authorized user and not the primary cardholder. Chase has been extremely inflexible with this policy, with agents stating that there is nothing they can do to circumvent this restriction. However, in some cases Chase may reconsider a denial if the applicant has <5 new cards excluding cards on which s/he is an authorized user. You may need to escalate to the next level of customer service agent, as many front-line agents seem to be unable or unwilling to remove the authorized user accounts from the count.

How does Chase calculate the relevant 24-month period? By calendar months? By exact days?

In February 2017, a FTer reported a successful application a day or two after dropping from 5/24 to 4/24. However, because Chase sometimes approves applicants who are at 5/24 exactly (see above), this data point does not conclusively prove that Chase drops cards from its calculation on the exact 24-month anniversary of the previous bonus.

Can I get around the 5/24 policy by closing cards I've opened in the past 24 months?

No. Chase uses the information from your credit report, and closing an account doesn't make it disappear.

Is there any way around the 5/24 policy (targeted mailers, pre-approvals, Chase Private Client status)?

As to targeted mailers, we have insufficient anecdotal evidence to reach any reliable conclusions. (Reports suggesting no exemption from 5/24 here and here.)

There have been reports of people with more than 5 cards opened in the last 24 months being successful if they are already pre-approved for the card in question. To find out if you are pre-approved, you can call or go into a branch to ask. Success stories appear to be connected to Chase Private Client (CPC) status and the rollout of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. In-branch pre-approvals (showing a green screen on the banker's computer) result in automatic approvals. Some (but not all) CPC clients had success in recon calls[[I]citation needed].

Can I apply for a specific Chase card and earn the bonus again after doing so previously?

It depends. A Chase card may be "churned" when an entirely new version becomes available. For example, business cards are distinct from personal/consumer cards. Note that simple variations among bonus offers do not amount to new versions/products for purposes of this rule.

Beginning in 2014, Chase began including explicit language in most of its offers, such as the following:

Quote:

This new cardmember bonus offer is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this consumer credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this consumer credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this consumer credit card within the last 24 months.

There are four key considerations in determining whether you can churn a given card:

The 5/24 policy discussed in detail above.

The 24-month bonus waiting period--in the case of Sapphire cards, the collective 48-month period--is measured not from the date of your previous application (or approval date, if different), but instead from the date you received the signup-related bonus on the previous card, which may be 3-4 months later than the approval date. The same rule applies regardless of the type of signup bonus received (points, miles, or free-night certs); anniversary benefits unrelated to spending requirements, such as annual IHG & Marriott certs, do not count as signup bonuses.

Chase's policy does not indicate whether there is also a minimum waiting period between cancellation and reapplication, and there is not yet sufficient anecdotal evidence from FTers to draw firm conclusions. At a minimum, a prudent churner will wait at least a week or two after cancellation before reapplying so that all of Chase's systems fully reflect that closure. (See first bullet point above.) At least one FTer has reported re-applying successfully 14 days after canceling the previous card.

Finally, note that if you reapply too soon, Chase may still issue you the new card. (This differs from some other card issuers, which may deny such applications outright.) In this case, Chase typically notifies you by letter within a month or two after approval that, as a previous cardholder, you will not receive the bonus a second time.

I'm an authorized user for a card issued to my spouse/parent. Does that prevent me from signing up for the same card and earning a bonus?

No. Being an additional user on someone else's account poses no bar to applying for that same card & bonus, except insofar as such cards may count toward the 5/24 rule (as discussed above).

I already have several Chase cards with a substantial aggregate line of credit. Will it improve my odds if I close an existing account (or lower its credit line) before applying for another?

Yes.

In the past, the conventional wisdom among FTers was that you were more likely to hurt your chances by closing an account or reducing CL unilaterally. However, substantial evidence from 2014 onward strongly indicates that Chase is increasingly likely to reject applications (or at least not auto-approve them) where an applicant has an existing total credit line that is high compared to his/her income & spending patterns. (For many members, the threshold appears to be in the $45K-60K range, but that is highly speculative.)

Recent reports suggest that closing accounts and/or voluntarily reducing credit lines increases the odds of auto-approval or in-branch pre-approval. (You can do either by calling or simply sending a secure message through your Chase online account. You do not need to provide a reason for the request.) For best results, keep at least $5K-10K in excess credit; if your application is not approved, you can always contact the reconsideration department and offer to reallocate that portion of your existing credit line. Note: despite allowing credit line to be moved between personal and business accounts in the past, Chase is no longer permitting such reallocation in either direction.

With respect to timing, it is better to reduce any CL as soon as you can conveniently do so, e.g., after meeting the bonus spend on a card you do not plan to use regularly thereafter. (Do not reduce CL on a given card if it would increase your "credit utiilization"--that is, the ratio of outstanding balance to CL--above ~30%. A high credit utilization number is a red flag for banks and can adversely affect your credit score.) Waiting until one's next application to lower a CL is less than optimal, as the reduced CL is not immediately recognized by all of Chase's systems.

There is no known minimum wait between lowering a CL and having the freed-up amount become available for purposes of a new application. A prudent applicant will, as recommended above, plan well in advance; failing that, an applicant would be wise to wait at least 24 hours between lowering a CL and applying for a new card.

I wasn't auto-approved. Should I call in?

It may be better to avoid calling Chase unless your application is denied. Many recent calls on pending applications led to denials, and many people report having success letting applications work their way through the system. Be patient. Time is on your side; increasingly, Chase CSRs are not.

If you do call, expect extensive and possibly hostile questioning. Be prepared to answer questions regarding the need for more credit, past credit apps for both Chase and other banks, income, business finances, etc. Know your CLs with Chase before you call so you know which card/s you are willing to decrease the CLs on. If the app is for a significant other who dislikes such calls, they can authorize you to speak on their behalf and hand the phone over to you.

How can I determine the deadline for meeting the spend requirement to earn the signup bonus?

Just send Chase a secure message (SM) through your online account. Although the deadline should in theory be N months from the date of approval (not the date of application or card activation)--where N is the number of months specified in the offer--Chase typically pads this period to account for the time required to fabricate and deliver physical cards. For example, a recent "3-month" deadline was in fact 114 days, as confirmed by Chase's SM confirmation.

Once I meet the card's spend requirement, how soon will I receive my signup bonus points?

Bonus points typically accrue at the close of the billing period in which you incur the corresponding charges. Points should appear in your hotel/airline account within a few days thereafter.

NOTE: If you complete your required spending in the last 7-10 days of the statement period, the bonus may not post until the following month's statement, even if the regular per-dollar points post on the first statement. This is normal behavior for Chase and is not worth a phone call.

My french co-worker is having a hard time getting qualified for Chase cards. He is a US Resident - has worked here 14 months, earns a solid income, credit score 715-720, owns property in the US, and has the HHonors Amex card. What factors would Chase deny him over? Should he recon?

What's the length of his oldest US credit card? My friends who recently established credit in the US all had to wait one year of having another issuer's credit card before being approved for a Chase card.

got approved for a CSR! I applied in branch (no pre approval) and was initially declined based on Chase not being able to extend me more credit. I called and they were able to move credit from a couple of my other Chase cards to the CSR and get me the approval.

Got called today saying my total Chase CL is 105k, and that I need to move down some of my personal Chase CL to let the IHG card in. Rep said I can do 2k or 5k or 10k. Moved down my CSR CL by 5k and IHG approved.

Asked rep what chase policy is on credit limit ceiling vs annual income, rep said no hard rule, their backend system take into account multiple factors to determine available CL.

Says cannot move down my business CL to compensate. Has to be my personal cards.

So even at a high annual income (this case, 300k/yr) my total CL was about 30% and still had to shuffle around credit limits.

Hope this helps others.

Still no word on my Hyatt card yet

edit: Just logged on and saw my Hyatt and IHG cards both showing up on my chase personal portal now. Both with 5k CL.

Hello @pixelrogue, welcome to FT. Your questions are broad and need to address exactly what you want in a credit card to give you the best input. Many of your questions can be answered in the Wiki here at the top of the thread, such as which cards are subject to the 5/24 rule. There are threads for each of the cards you asked about, debating the nuances of the cards and their perks. Did you have a chance to look? The individual threads would be the best place to begin as you decide which from a wide array of cards would be best for you.

Generally speaking, UR earning cards are the most versatile, because the points transfer to so many programs. Avios earning cards such as the BA/Air LIngus and Iberia cards are especially useful for short haul travel because the redemptions are distance based, not zone based. The Southwest companion pass is widely considered one of the perks available. The IHG card has recently been revamped, currently has a huge sign up offer, and only you can decide if it fits your needs.

Avios earning cards such as the BA/Air LIngus and Iberia cards are especially useful for short haul travel because the redemptions are distance based, not zone based.

That may be less the case now than before for those in the USA, given that Avios USA main partner AA is often not making nonstop flights available for SAAver redemption any more, only "married segment" connecting flights, which Avios prices as if two awards (one for each nonstop leg):

Due to a confusing conversation that is probably entirely my fault, P2 accidentally used a sockdrawered United biz card as a daily driver for a few weeks. Since the credit line was very low, she spent way over the limit, almost 2x, but all the charges went thru. I paid it off in full shortly after.

But now I'm noticing that the Available Credit is still at $0.00 days later.

I have an app coming up in a few weeks for an Ink. Should I be doing something about this situation before then? Anyone else make a similar mistake and it worked itself out?

If you paid the card from a linked non-chase bank account, it will take around a week to free up the available credit. Payment shows, but credit doesn't free up. This is normal behavior and nothing to be alarmed about.

Want to apply for the Ink Business Unlimited, I currently only have Ink Preferred from Chase and would like the option to earn 1.5x in the terms of UR awards so thats why I dont want to downgrade my Ink Preferred. I've opened 2 personal cards and 1 other business cards in the past year. I've got about 8 inquiries on my account right now unfortunately from a few card applications and 2 student loan inquiries.

Do my odds for an Ink Business Unlimited card sound good? I have a legitimate business, 60k in sales each year set up with an EIN and everything. Don't want to risk getting in trouble with Chase. I was denied for two personal cards I tried applying for (both freedom and freedom unlimited) back in November and haven't applied for any card since December.